It was just over a year ago that me and Rach went to London to see Groundation Live at The Cargo Club. But due to some visa problem the band were refused entry into the UK - we were absolutely gutted. When I got the news that they were playing this year at The Jazz Cafe I started praying that all would be okay this time around.

We set off for London in the early afternoon, got all our bits and pieces sorted and arrived at the club for 8.30pm.The poster for Groundation said doors 10.30pm but we thought sure this couldn’t be correct. When we arrived I realised what the club were doing, they had another artist performing first, a hip-hop singer. As this was a different, for which tickets had been sold separately, we were asked to leave and return later. The club’s plan was to get Groundation to set up in thirty minutes and on stage at 11:00pm. I’ve never known this happen at a club before and it really didn’t really work.

We met up with Zacheous Jackson a good friend of ours and returned to the club at about 10.30pm. There were now a few people outside waiting to get in, but they had to get fans of the previous gig out first, which meant we didn’t get into the club until after 11:00pm.

Once inside the place just filled up. No tickets were sold on the door; the place was a sell out. I would say that the club only holds between three and four hundred and it was packed, you couldn’t move. At one point Rach said "Look” and I turn around to see Harrison Stafford (lead vocalist) behind me. I introduced myself and grabbed a photo for the album (wicked).

Now the wait started as the Groundation soundmen worked frantically to get all the equipment set up. It must have been about 12.30am when all was thought to be ready. I felt sorry for Groundation having to sit upstairs waiting for one and a half hours before they could go on stage, with no real chance of a sound check of any sort.

This was it, Groundation’s first ever time playing the UK. Down the stairs they came to a mass of shouts and applause. I was so pleased with their reception from the crowd, we had all had a long wait, but the time had finally arrived. I wondered how they would recreate such complex music live, but apart from Harrison’s first few words (his Mic was low) it was pure musical bliss from start to finish, each song chopping and changing with improvised ease. Each song they performed would slowly build into a Jazz/Roots frenzy with bass lines that rattled your ribs. Harrison singing high then low, the brass perfect, keyboards sweet and precise.

I felt the stage was a bit small for Harrison; he’s very active on stage. He did tell me later that their two female, Jamaican, backing singers were refused entry into the UK this year (I suppose they must be a real threat to national security HAHA). Last year the backing singers were allowed in the country but not the band?? To be fair if they had been present I’m not sure how they all would’ve fitted on the stage! In addition to the lost of their backing singers Harrison said that the previous night, in France, his guitar had been stolen! However the band seemed oblivious to these set backs - they truly could make an elastic band and a tin can sound amazing.

Their set was over an hour and a half of musical entertainment from the highest region, filled with passion and sung straight from the heart. The crowd were with them as one, all the way, singing along to all the songs, many with as much passion as Harrison himself. You couldn’t move on the dance floor and Rach found it impossible to get through the crowd to get any good photos. At one point we got upstairs on the balcony to try and get some photos, but were soon moved back down again by the over protective staff.

When finally they downed instruments the crowd went wild, chanting for their return, for which they happily obliged, not just once, but twice yet the crowd still called for more. I was so pleased to have witnessed a band so spiritually and musically correct, but sadly it was now after 2:00am and time for the club to close.

I wondered how I was going to my promised interview as it was so late. The club was cleared quickly as the staff wanted to get home. I just stood with fingers crossed that they wouldn’t forget me. The next moment Harrison approached saying that he was just getting a fruit juice and he’ll be with me (yippee). We then all went upstairs to a back room for the interview. Due to tiredness and illness on my part I must apologise for forgetting to turn the Mic on for the first couple of questions. These were important so I have written them at the end of this review. (answers have been taken from previous interviews with the band).

Interview with Harrison Stafford(lead Singer) and Marcus Urani (keyboards)

UKRG: How did you all meet and come together to form the reggae band Groundation?

Harrison Stafford: "I guess I would be the main instigating force where the reggae part of Groundation is concerned, but we were playing together since we arrived at university, playing jazz but also playing other kinds of music. Reggae music is kind of where I come from. It's the first music I ever heard, it's the music that I fell in love with. By talking to Marcus and to Ryan Newman (bass) about starting something serious, we all seemed to agree. Off course jazz stays one of our main influences, since that's what our backgrounds are."

Marcus Irani: "What we did is apply the concepts we learned in our jazz education and apply them to reggae, thus creating our own version of the music. The music is us, it's who we are. By knowing each other very well and studying together we were able to explore the music a lot further."

Harrison Stafford: "To us as musicians it's really not that far a stretch to go from jazz to reggae. Some people ask: "Wow from jazz to reggae, that's so different, how do you do that?", but for us the two aren't really that different. It's pretty much the same inspiration, the same vibration that‘s behind the music."

UKRG: Harrison i heard that you used to teach ‘The History Of Reggae Music’ at University, can you tell us a little bit about this?

Harrison Stafford: “It was very much a success and I would like to continue it but music is what it's all about and the message in Groundation is what it's all about so since our music has progressed and we've been pushing it along, and trying to focus more on recording the albums and distributing them and touring the world trying to meet the people who love our music, that has taken over from being there at university for four month blocks and teach for a semester. I would like to do it, but at the same time it was hard work to get it admitted in the curriculum, and I'm sure that today with budget cuts and so on, this course would be one of the first to go. I also don't really envisage myself as being in front of a classroom for the rest of my life. My mission in life at this moment is to play music."

UKRG: Can you tell us your meaning of the word Groundation?

Harrison Stafford: "Togetherness! Getting grounded. We are really trying to look into the heart of things and push music and push society and try to push people. That is the gift the greats were able to give and it would be really nice if we could grasp these things and push them forward. Groundation is moving forward. At a time where so many things seem to be at a standstill or moving into a direction that might not really be beneficial for humans, Groundation is a force against that."

The remaining interview was recorded and can be heard as a Groundation special on UKRG Radio on 3rd August 9pm GMT also repeated at 5pm Sunday 5th. It will then available as an edited download (check forums for details).

Review and Interview by ‘Idread’.

>> Back To Dance & Live Events

>> Back To Reviews Home